Tongue-support for vehicles.



No. 897,957, PATENTED SEPT 8, 1908. N. P. BENNETT.

TONGUE SUPPORT FOR VEHICLES, APPLICATION FILED APR. 8 190a.

WFTNESSES; iNVENTOR.

NFBENNETT. f/i/ Z bu I - and durable support for the tongue,

UNITED STATES PATENT onnron.

NORMAN FRANKLIN BENNETT, or SUNDERLAND, oN'rAmo, CANADA.

TONGUE-SUPPORT FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented Sept. 8, 190a.

, A naa n'meu rn s,-19os. Serial No. 425,932.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NORMAN FRANKLIN BENNETT, of the village of Sunderland, in the county of Ontario, in the Province of Ontario, Can'adaymachinist, have invented'certain new and useful Improvements in Tongue-Supports for Vehicles, of which .the

. following is the specification.

vMy invention relates to improvements in tongue supports for vehicles, .and the object strong which if ofthe invention is to devise a simple,

will keepthe tongue raise for hitching, desired, and kee the weig when on the road A further object is to allow the tongue to be lowered with facility when desired.

A still further obj ect is to hold the tongue flexibly so-that there will be no liability of damage to the tongue or the device itself.

To effect these objects my invention con- I sists of a tubillal shell designed to be attached to the axle tree or running gear and closed at tlr e rear end and havin an orifice at the front end, a rod extending-t rough the orifice and provided with a'wa'sher at the rear end a spiral spring extendin between the washer and the front end of t e shell, a

.bell crank lever journaled inthe fork atthe front end of the rod and fulcrumed on an'arm attached to the shell, 2. stop arm located above the shell and designed to co-a'ct with the tail on the'beil-crank lever, a link pivotand the bracing bars C ally' swung beneath the tongue and having the lower end normally resting in the hookshape front end of the bell crank-lever, the

parts being otherwise constructed and arranged in detail-as hereinafter -more particularly explained.

Figure, 1 isa perspe ctiveview of a portion tom of the axle tree A by means of the lugs E and bolts extending through them.

E is a screw cap, which closes the rear end of the shell E.

t off the horse rear cross bar C E is the central orifice E. v F is a rod provided with a rear washer F' and retaining nut F The rod F extends through the orifice E andthe dust is pre' vented from coming through such orifice by reduced end of the shell having aa tubular cover G, which hugs the rodF and the outside of the reduced end E 2 is a spiral spring, which in the drawing is shown in its expanded position. The front end of the rod F is provided with .a fork F 1 E is an arm, which-is attached to or for-ms part of the shell E and extends forwardly be--- mg provided with a front fork E". r E is a stop part of the shell E'and is located above the rod F.

- H is a bell crank lever, which is pivoted in arm,which also is attached to or forms the forked end E at the forward end of the arm E and is provided with a tail H, which is designed to come in contact with the stop arm E to'limit the upward movement of the bell crank H. The tail H-is located a short distance from the arm E to allow of some latitude of movement of the bell crank H.

' H is the hook-shaped front end of the hell I crank.

I is a link, which is journaled in bearings I at the bottom of the ton us and extends at the lower end into the hoo H Having now described the involved in my invention I s all brie scribe its operation and utility.

The spring 2 serves to draw the rod F rearwardly and therebyiwhen the link I is in the position shown in the drawing forcesthe tongue upwardly in order that the horses may be hitched and relieved from any weight rincipal 1 parts y .de-

of the tongue when they are on the road. 1

Should it be desired to lower,the tongue it may be slightly raised when the tail H of the bell crank arm will come against the stop E and the link I may be withdrawn from the position shown in the drawings and folded under the tongue when the tongue may be immediately lowered. I I

Such a tongue support, as I describe, it will be seen will hold the tongue flexibly, so that there is no liability of damage to the tongue or the support itself, which is an importan desideratum. I

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a tongue support, for vehicles, the combination with the runnin gear and tongue suitably pivoted, of a she secured to end of the rod an f a'hook at the forward end of the 10 the gear, a rod capable of longitudi nal movement in the shell and provided with a washer at one end, a spiral spring secured d between one endof the s ell and the washer, a bell crank lever dpivotally connected to the suitably fulcrumed and a link suitably fulcrumed in the bottom of the tongue and having the lower end fitting into bell crank lever as and for "the purpose specified.

2. .A device of the class described comprising-a shell, arod extendingthrough the forwardend thereof and provided with. an end washer,-a' spiral s' ring extending between the front end of the s ell and the washer, an arm attached to upart of the shell, a .bell crank lever pivota y connected to the rod andthe arm and detachablemeans for connecting pose specified;

3. A device of the class described comprising a shell, a rod extending through the for ward end thereof and-provided with an end Washer, a spiral sprin extending between the front end of the shell and the washer, an

arm attached to part of the shell, a bell crank lever pivotally connected to the rod and the arni, detachable means for connecting the lever to the tongue, and a stop arm designed to engage with the tail 'formed on the bell crank lever as and for the purpose specified.

, 4 NORMAN FRANKLIN BENNETT.

' Witnssesz I T. H. GLENDINNING, ELIZABETH BALDWIN. 

